JERRY GARCIA

• Founder and leader of the legendary rock group The Grateful Dead.
• 1962, played banjo with two bands—the Wild Wood Boys and Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers.
• 1963, formed The Black Mountain Boys with David Nelson and Sandy Rothman.
• 1973, Garcia (banjo) recorded with David Grisman (mandolin), Peter Rowan (guitar), John Kahn (bass) and Vassar Clements (fiddle) in a band called “Old and In the Way.” This album became one of the best-selling bluegrass albums of all time.
• 1987, reunited with friends David Nelson (of New Riders of the Purple Sage) and Sandy Rothman (a former Blue Grass Boy) to record “Almost Acoustic” under the name The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band.
• 1991, Jerry and mandolinist David Grisman recorded an album of acoustic duets: Jerry Garcia & David Grisman (Acoustic Disk).
• 1993, interviewed in film “Bill Monroe: The Father of Bluegrass Music” and asked “Is it true that you once auditioned to be one of Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys?” Jerry’s response: “Yeah. I wanted to be one in the worst way. I still want to be.”
• The Grateful Dead recorded several bluegrass standards: “Dark Hollow”, “Deep Elem Blues”, “Sittin on Top of the World”, “A Voice from on High”, “Little Sadie”, “Cold Jordan” and others.
• Died in August, 1995 at the age of 53.
• 2000, an acoustic album was released featuring Garcia with David Grisman and Tony Rice called The Pizza Tapes (Acoustic Disk).
• 2001, a movie about Jerry Garcia and David Grisman was released called “Grateful Dawg.”
• 2024, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky opened a temporary exhibit (three years) called “Jerry Garcia: A Bluegrass Journey.”